This invention pertains to computer systems and other information handling systems and, more particularly, to an injection molded carrier for a disk drive or other electronic component that includes an integrally molded latching mechanism and in which the disk drive or other electronic component is attached to the carrier using a wire form mechanism.
Disk drives and other peripheral electronic components are frequently mounted on a carrier that can be slidably inserted into a chassis. The chassis typically houses a multiplicity of disk drives in individual "bays." Each bay usually includes a pair of chassis rails that receive mating carrier rails positioned on either side of the carrier. A latching mechanism is usually included to latch the disk drive in the chassis.
The invention described below is an improved carrier assembly for a disk drive or other electronic component that achieves low manufacturing cost by using a one piece, injection molded carrier and a "wire form" attaching mechanism for attaching the disk drive or other electronic component to the carrier without the use of tools. The carrier also includes an integrally molded latching mechanism that can be released by simply pulling on the integrally molded handle. Thus, one hand unlatching and removal of the drive is possible.
FIG. 1A is a top plan view of a prior art wire form attaching mechanism, which is similar to the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,889 to Sacherman. Referring to this figure, a wire form 100 includes a main body portion 101, which assumes an arcuate shape when the wire form is not installed in the carrier assembly (i.e., when the wire form is "free standing"). Legs 102 and 103 are formed at opposite ends of body portion 101 and the legs are angled inward towards body portion 101 at an angle "A", wherein "A" is less than 90 degrees.
FIG. 1B is a top plan view of a prior art slidable carrier assembly, such as the one illustrated in Sacherman. Referring to this figure, which illustrates the carrier assembly removed from the chassis, legs 102 and 103 are inserted through holes 104a and 104b in carrier rail 104 and then into holes 105a and 105b of disk drive housing 105. The arcuate shape in body portion 101 pulls the legs inward (towards one another) engaging the tips of the legs into the interior walls of holes 105a and 105b, thereby attaching disk drive housing 105 to carrier rail 104.
FIG. 1C is similar to FIG. 1B, except that the carrier assembly is illustrated inserted in the chassis. Referring to this figure, chassis rail 106 compresses the arcuate shape of body portion 101, thereby causing legs 102 and 103 to move outward and away from the interior walls of holes 105a and 105b and decreasing the force F.sub.1 between the legs and the interior walls of the holes. In fact, the retaining force F.sub.1 may be reduced to zero, such that carrier rail 104 is only loosely held onto disk drive housing 105.
The invention described below includes a wire form attaching mechanism of a design different from that of the prior art. In particular, the wire form of the present invention is designed to increase the holding force between a disk drive housing and the carrier rail when the carrier assembly is inserted into the chassis. In order to achieve good electrical grounding of the disk drive housing, this is particularly important when using an electrically insulating carrier, such as the plastic injection molded carrier described below. In other words, a path for electrical conduction is formed between the grounded chassis rail and the wire form, and also between the wire form and the disk drive housing. Consequently, it is imperative that the legs of the wire form remain in tight engagement with the walls of the holes in the disk drive housing when the carrier assembly is inserted into the chassis.